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De Nada Lyrics – Real Women Have Curves

De Nada Lyrics

Carmen, Raúl, Estela
[CARMEN]
As a girl, I thought I'd be a big mariachi
I had talent, I had promise, I had flair

[RAÚL, spoken]
You sure did!

[CARMEN, sung]
My rancheras felt like magic in the moonlight
My guitar could make you float in mid-air

[RAÚL, spoken]
You were great, amor, let's eat

[CARMEN, sung]
But I put those dreams on hold and started working

[RAÚL, spoken]
I'm starving!
Just smile and let her know that you're aware

[ANA, spoken]
Thank you?

[CARMEN, sung]
De nada, de nada, de nada
At your age, I had four jobs, can you imagine?
Cleaning toilets, wiping asses night and day
[ANA, spoken]
Amá, really?


[CARMEN, sung]
Every muscle in my body always aching
So before you answer back, what do you say?

[CARMEN, RAÚL, ESTELA]
What do you say? What do you say?

[ANA, spoken]
¿Gracias?

[CARMEN, sung]
De nada, de nada, de nada

[RAÚL, spoken]
You're welcome!

[CARMEN, ESTELA, sung]
De nada, de nada, de nada

[RAÚL, spoken]
Let's eat!

[CARMEN, sung]
I carried you nine months inside my belly
[RAÚL, ESTELA]
¡De nada!

[CARMEN]
And trust me, you were heavy even then

[ANA, spoken]
Amá—

[RAÚL, sung]
And moving to the States, it wasn't easy

[CARMEN, ESTELA]
De nada

[ESTELA]
We had to start from scratch, start again

[CARMEN, RAÚL, ESTELA]
We walked across the desert, made the trek in our huaraches (Oh, oh, oh, oh)
Braving heat stroke, getting blistered by the sand (Oh, oh, oh)

[RAÚL, spoken]
And we were hungry!

[CARMEN, RAÚL, ESTELA]
Then swam the Rio Grande, made our way to California
Like Moses, we entered into the promised land
[CARMEN]
So, enjoy this home-cooked meal with your familia

[RAÚL, ESTELA, spoken]
De nada

[CARMEN, sung]
All our sacrifice was worth the price we paid
And lucky you, I got you work at 'Stela's factory

[ANA, spoken]
Lucky?

[CARMEN, sung]
Mija, it's done, so just enjoy the serenade (Ajua)

[CARMEN, RAÚL, ESTELA]
De nada, de nada, de nada
De nada

De nada

Song Overview

Screenshot from De Nada lyrics video by Justina Machado, Mauricio Mendoza & Florencia Cuenca
Justina Machado, Mauricio Mendoza, and Florencia Cuenca are singing the 'De Nada' lyrics in the music video.

Song Credits

  • Performers: Justina Machado, Mauricio Mendoza, Florencia Cuenca
  • Producer: Julio Reyes
  • Writers: Benjamin Velez & Joy Huerta
  • Release Date: June 6, 2025
  • Album: Real Women Have Curves (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
  • Genre: Pop, Latin Musical Theatre
  • Language: English and Spanish
  • Label: Broadway Records
  • Music Style: Mariachi-fusion, Broadway hybrid
  • Copyrights © 2025 Broadway Records / Real Women Have Curves Productions

Song Meaning and Annotations

Justina Machado performing song De Nada
Performance in the music video.
De Nada” is both a feast and a fight. In a tightly packed three minutes, Carmen, the mother figure, delivers a blistering vocal resume of sacrifice, hustle, and unrelenting motherhood.
“As a girl, I thought I'd be a big mariachi / I had talent, I had promise, I had flair.”
The opening lines establish Carmen's dreamscape — a life that might have soared on stage but instead found itself grounded in survival. The nostalgic flair of “rancheras in the moonlight” becomes a ghost of what could've been.
“But I put those dreams on hold and started working.”
That line — sung like an exhale — punches with its simplicity. It’s not bitter, not quite. But there’s a bite. Carmen didn't give up her dream lightly; she mothballed it for the sake of diapers, dollars, and dignity.
“De nada, de nada, de nada / At your age, I had four jobs, can you imagine?”
The titular refrain, *de nada* ("you're welcome"), is repurposed with rhythmic irony. It drips with passive-aggression and pride. Carmen doesn't seek thanks. She demands recognition.
“We walked across the desert, made the trek in our huaraches… Then swam the Rio Grande… Like Moses, we entered into the promised land.”
This is not merely immigrant storytelling — it's myth-making. Carmen and Raúl are reimagined as Biblical heroes, crossing arid trials to claim their place in history and economy. This isn't exaggeration. It's how family legacy is built, retold at dinner tables and dramatized in music.
“All our sacrifice was worth the price we paid / And lucky you, I got you work at 'Stela's factory.”
Here, Carmen's voice flits between martyrdom and manipulation. The “gift” of a factory job isn’t charity — it’s a reminder. Every opportunity Ana receives is stacked on her parents' blisters.
“Mija, it's done, so just enjoy the serenade.”
As if to say: This isn’t a conversation. It’s a performance. And like every good mariachi number — it ends with a flourish.

Similar Songs

Thumbnail from De Nada lyric video by Justina Machado, Mauricio Mendoza & Florencia Cuenca
A screenshot from the 'De Nada' music video.
  1. “In the Heights” – Lin-Manuel Miranda: Like “De Nada,” this anthem celebrates the Latin immigrant experience, weaving Spanglish, salsa, and generational tension. Both songs center gratitude with a sting — reminders that dreams often get rerouted through survival.
  2. “Everything I Know” – In the Heights (Nina’s song): While “De Nada” is assertive, Nina’s ballad is mournful. It’s about honoring sacrifice, specifically her father’s, but from a softer lens. Nina weeps for the weight she carries. Carmen throws it.
  3. “Breathe” – Real Women Have Curves (also Ana’s solo): If “De Nada” is Carmen’s manifesto, “Breathe” is Ana’s rebuttal. It shifts the narrative, giving the daughter a voice — one that loves deeply, but questions the debts she’s expected to repay.

Questions and Answers

Scene from De Nada track by Justina Machado, Mauricio Mendoza & Florencia Cuenca
Visual effects scene from 'De Nada'.
What does “De Nada” mean in the context of the song?
Literally, “you’re welcome” — but Carmen uses it sarcastically. It’s both a humble-brag and an accusation, turning a simple phrase into a guilt-laden hook.
Why does Carmen mention mariachi dreams?
It underscores her own sacrifice. By showing that she had ambitions once, the song makes her bitterness more relatable and her demands more justified.
What is the significance of the biblical imagery?
The journey across the desert and Rio Grande is compared to Moses leading his people to the promised land — elevating the immigrant narrative to mythic status. It’s grand, defiant, and deeply personal.
Is this song meant to make Ana feel guilty?
Yes — and no. Carmen is not just laying on guilt; she’s performing history. It’s a lesson, a plea, and a power play rolled into one.
Why is this song important in the musical?
It’s a turning point. “De Nada” shows the rift between generations — parents who built survival stories, and children asked to carry them. It's where legacy becomes a burden and love turns confrontational.

Fan and Media Reactions

“She sings ‘De nada’ like a dagger wrapped in a tortilla. Love it.”
“Broadway needed this song. Parents have been giving that speech forever — but never this tunefully.”
“The mariachi beat, the family tension, the bilingual sass — absolute gold.”
“It made me want to hug my mom and then apologize for every eye roll I ever gave her.”
“You can feel the history. You can feel the hunger. You can feel the heat of the Rio Grande in every note.”

Real Women Have Curves Lyrics: Song List

  1. Act I
  2. Make It Work
  3. De Nada
  4. Flying Away
  5. Jugglin
  6. If I Were a Bird
  7. De Nada (Reprise) 
  8. Daydream
  9. Already Know You
  10. Oye Muchacha
  11. Act II
  12. Flying Away / If I Were a Bird (Reprise) 
  13. Adios Andres
  14. Siempre Mi Gente
  15. Make It Work (Reprise) 
  16. Real Women Have Curves
  17. Doin' It Anyway
  18. Life Is Like A Dance
  19. Flying Away (Reprise)
  20. Finishing The Dresses
  21. Daydream (Reprise) 
  22. Itzel’s Letter
  23. I Got It Wrong

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